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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  10. Have you found your soul ________________?
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — a safe
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. scale — in music
  4. vault — an arched ceiling
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — government
  9. scale — size or range
  10. mate — a partner
  11. spring — the season
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. vault — in gymnastics
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. pitch — completely
  17. spring — a coil
  18. mate — a friend
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. spring — of water
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. bowl — to roll

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com